100 Themes with Lily and James
by Oriel Subtle
Summary: Here is my attempt at the 100 Theme Challenge with Lily and James! Varying in length and some other characters will probably be making guest appearances. Hope you like it! Please review!
1. 1 Introduction

Hehehehehe Ahhh I'm excited. I'm doing the 100 theme challenge with my favourite couple Lily and James! Hope you enjoy it! Oriel x - Introduction

I felt my fingers tighten around my mum's hand as we caught our first glimpse of 'Platform 9 and ¾'. Our little family came to a stop.

'What? Where?' murmured my dad, looking from the letter in his hand, back to the blank and very solid looking plastic barrier between platforms 9 and 10. Petunia grinned at me vindictively, her eyes glittering with triumph.

'Well Lily? Where is this platform? Seems to me it doesn't exist!' she laughed, looking at mum and dad.

I looked up at mum anxiously. She smiled.

'We'll find it,' she said gently.

'Mr Dumbledore said nothing about this Rose,' Dad piped up, causing my stomach, which had momentarily unclenched, to clench all over again. They all looked at me a little expectantly. Inside my head my brain was in overdrive. Did they expect me to know where everything is when I'd never even been here before?

'Sev!' I said after a few minutes of furious thought, 'He'll know how to get on there!'

At this mum and dad suddenly looked a little uneasy.

'Severus dear? Well if we can…'

'JAMES! Oh for goodness sake, he's wandered off again. JAMES!' mum was interrupted by a woman with a strong Irish accent who swept past us, wearing a long green cloak. A cloak?

'I don't know why we just didn't apparate dear,' a middle aged man in a large hat spoke at her side, 'That would've been a much easier way to get onto platform 9 and ¾. I've always hated this running through walls rubbish, makes me queasy.'

My heart leapt.

'Excuse me!' my mum had obviously heard too. I was swept along as my mum pulled me through the crowd towards the lady with the green cloak. She turned as my mum tapped her on the shoulder.

I noted, with some surprise, the jeans and jumper she wore under the flamboyant outerwear. She was pretty in an average kind of way, with a round face and smiling hazel eyes, but it was her hair, which impressed me most.

It was a vivid red, almost the exact shade of mine. I grinned at the woman and she grinned back. Us redheads gotta stick together.

'Can I help?' she asked. Her husband looked back to where we stood and came over. He also wore a combination of things you might see in a fancy dress shop and normal clothes. Thinning dark hair peeped out from beneath the ludicrous hat and wire rimmed glasses perched atop a long nose, magnifying his pale blue eyes.

Petunia looked worried, shrinking back behind the trolley carrying my trunk, but I stepped forward, eager to meet anyone from my new world.

'Hogwarts?' the man asked in a cheery voice, 'and muggles by the looks of it. Don't worry! We'll help you along.'

My mum smiled gratefully at him and walked beside the couple, pulling me along with her:

'I'm Rose Evans and this is my husband Alan, and our two girls Petunia and Lily. We are so grateful about this. I'm afraid we were a little lost!'

'Not to worry!' replied the dark haired man, 'It's difficult for all first timers. I'm Charlie Potter and this is my wife Dorea and our son James… James?' He turned to glance around. Dorea turned to him exasperatedly.

'He's run off again Charlie! I swear its like we've been slipping a forgetfulness draft in his _Quidditch flakes _every morning!' she turned to my mum, 'Sorry about this. Our son James is about to start Hogwarts just this year.'

'Me too!' I piped up, grinning up at the lady with the fiery hair. She smiled gently.

'Well you seem like a sensible girl.,' She lowered her head to mine and whispered conspiratorially in my ear, 'You talk some sense into my boy won't you?' She pulled her head back and winked at me. I grinned and felt myself blush.

'Gotcha!' yelled Charlie, making us all jump. He wheeled around, revealing a small struggling boy, with a shock of black hair, firmly attached by the collar to Charlie's hand. Charlie dusted him off and set him on the ground, keeping the hand firmly on his shoulder.

I smiled at him, eager to make a new friend. He scowled back at me, a hand jumping up to his hair, mussing it up so it stuck up even more erratically than it had before.

Dorea leapt forward, something flashing in her hand and it was a moment before I realised that it was a metal comb. She set about attacking James' hair with it.

'Ow! Mum! Get off!' He scrambled away from her as she advanced on him.

'I don't care whether you're copying that new 'Weird brothers' band or not…'

' "Weird Sisters"' James muttered under his breath,

'It is your first day at Hogwarts and by Merlin's wand your hair WILL LIE FLAT!' Dorea screamed the last few words, her chest rising and falling as if she'd run a race. Passers by watched this outburst obviously caused, I decided, by this horrible boy standing before me.

He looked a lot like his father, with a long nose, glasses and of course the hair; but he had his mother's kind, hazel eyes, despite the sulky look he had plastered to his face at that moment.

'What do you want red?' he hissed at me in a low voice, obviously catching me staring. I blushed.

'Nothing,' I said quickly, 'I'm Lily Evans. I'm starting here this year.'

He snorted, disregarding my outstretched hand and looking to my other, which was still clasped firmly by mum.

'I'd never have guessed.' He said sarcastically. He looked in annoyance to his mum for a second and pink tinged his cheeks slightly. He reached up his hand and messed up his hair again. I rolled my eyes. Hurt pride was no reason to be rude.

'Whats up with this then?' he asked, flicking my plait. I blushed. My hair and my eyes had always been a great source of embarrassment to me. 'You look like your head's on fire,' he snickered, 'Or,' he conceded, taking my bright green eyes into account, 'like Christmas has come early.' He winked at me and I glared back awkwardly. I seemed to have lost my voice along the way.

'Do you support the Chudley Cannons?' he asked suddenly, then erupted into laughter at his own joke. I felt the famous Lily Evans anger well up in my belly.

'I'm sure that comment would sting a lot more if I knew who the Chudley Cannons were,' I spat back at him, 'Now will you please leave me and my hair alone. I did not come here to have my day spoilt by silly little twerps like you. Why don't you go and get mummy to brush your hair again because believe me, whoever these 'Weird Sisters' are, copying them is not a good look for you. It was nice to meet you Mr and Mrs Potter. Come on mum.'

I flicked my hair around and flounced away from the Potters, pulling my mum towards Sev who waved from the other side of the platform, hoping I'd never had to see, or speak to, James Potter again.


	2. 2 Love

**Love**

'OII! EVANS!'

He watched as the blaze of red hair that had been bobbing up and down a few metres in front of him, halt suddenly and then, very slowly, turn around. He felt a thrill of foreboding as her face, bright red and livid came into view. All around, the students of Hogwarts halted their conversations and started to glance surreptitiously towards the scene unfolding before their eyes. James and Lily's fights were legendary.

'_What _Potter?' she spat angrily. His cousin Ailish, Lily's best friend, made frantic 'Abort!' signs behind Lily's head. He smiled angelically at her. The crowds had gone silent, not even bothering to conceal their interest any more. James swaggered forward; ignoring Ailish's repeated ministrations and Marlene Dempsey's raised eyebrows.

'Why hello there Lily- Flower,' he said in a smooth voice, leaning down to breathe gently on her face. The plan to dazzle her with his amazing scent failed, as Lily stepped smartly backwards, wearing a stony expression.

'Trying to torture me with your bad breath Potter?' she asked scathingly, 'Ooooh that's a new one. That's one way to get me to _gag_ for it.' There was a smattering of giggles, which James heard Sirius silence with a growl. He reflected on how ridiculous it was, that even when Lily was being mean, hearing her say the words 'gag for it' still made him feel like he had the jelly-legs jinx on him.

'If only Evans, if only,' he said with a wink. She responded by snorting and turning on her heel.

'No! Wait, Lily!' he said desperately, grabbing her arm. Ailish winced.

'WHAT POTTER? WE HAVE A BLOODY TRANSFIGURATION EXAM THIS AFTERNOON AND UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE, I ACTUALLY STUDY!'

He recoiled slightly as her flaming emerald eyes found him once more. He always thought they looked like a floo fire when she got angry. He grinned happily into them, remembering that time when her eyes had softened as she had smiled gently up at him…

'POTTER!'

'Gooutwithme?' burst, unbidden from his lips. He immediately regretted it, going bright red as Ailish and Marlene face-palmed. If Lily had looked angry before, now she looked positively dangerous.

'What did you say?' she said softly, the rage making her voice quaver slightly. James gulped loudly.

'Go…out with me?' he said hopefully. Now she looked feral.

'I CAN'T EVEN…,' she choked, her anger making her words falter, 'WHY THE BLOODY HELL WOULD YOU EVEN ASK THAT POTTER? WE. DON'T. LIKE. EACH. OTHER.' She yelled, speaking slowly as if to a child. 'YOU MAKE ME SO ANGRY! I WOULD NEVER, EVER, EVER GO OUT WITH YOU. NOT IF YOU WERE THE LAST BOY IN HOGWARTS, ON EARTH! NOT IF IT WERE A CHOICE BETWEEN GOING ON A DATE WITH YOU OR GOING ON A DATE WITH FILCH AND MRS. NORRIS!' She stormed away, Ailish and Marlene following in her wake.

'Lils!' he shouted half- heartedly after her. Her head whipped around and there was venom in her eyes.

'That's Evans to you Potter,' she hissed and continued down the now heaving corridor. James watched her go, every stamp pounding with his heart.

'I love you,' he murmured.

**Reviews are like doughnuts, they make everyone happy **


	3. 3 Light

**Oh Haii everyone **** So I've been having a lot of fun with these themed drabbles and I really hope you enjoy this third one! **

**Oriel x**

**Light**

Lily jerked awake for the fourth time. She stared around in surprise. Yep, still in Defence against the Dark Arts; still enjoying the lecture about the use of patronuses from Professor Trepid; still being bored out of her skull. Lily had discovered patronuses in second year, when doing some extra research in the library and had soon perfected her own, doe patronus. In fact, she rather liked it- its gentle eyes made her feel safe- and when she was on a particularly lonely prefect patrol, she would often cast it and let it walk beside her, illuminating the corridors with its soft light-

'Lils! Lily!,' came a voice from beside her. Lily jumped.

'Huh? Wha?' She turned to see Ailish watching her, laughter in her eyes.

'You fell asleep again, didn't you?' Ailish giggled, stretching her back out and getting up.

'Ughh,' replied Lily grumpily, 'How can she expect us to stay awake if she talks about patronuses solidly for three hours?' She paused, regarding her friend, 'Why are you standing up? Has the lesson finished?' she asked hopefully. Ailish snorted.

'No silly, we're actually doing the patronuses now!' she said, pulling her wand out from her robes and tossing her long, black hair over her shoulder. Lily jumped up grinning.

'Finally!' she sighed happily, 'Some practical work'

She looked around properly for the first time, to see the entire class on their feet: chatting; pulling out wands. Soon the air was filled with cries of 'Expecto Patronum' and thin vapours of white light. There was uproar as a particularly feisty, dog patronus, bounded around the room: leaving trails of light behind it. Lily grinned, following it to its source. Her face turned sour. She should have known. Sirius Black.

In fact the whole Marauder clan were there in the corner of the classroom, laughing loudly as Peter Pettigrew's head nearly exploded with concentration. He failed to produce anything more than vapour however, made all the worse by Remus' wolf patronus snapping at his heels. Potter, she noticed, had his wand held limply at his side. Probably thought he could do it without trying, the cocky git. A cheer rose from the Marauders as another, patronus joined the mix: what looked like a panther. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the person casting it was a girl. Her eyes narrowed even further as she saw the girl double over laughing, then reach up to ruffle James' hair.

The girl flipped her long, black hair over her shoulder, and the knot in Lily's stomach lessened somewhat as she saw it was Ailish. Ailish?

'AILISH?' she yelled over the racket, beckoning madly. She did not want to have to go over to the Marauders. Ailish however had other ideas and grinned, shaking her head and blushing slightly as Sirius grabbed her around the waist. Lily rolled her eyes in annoyance. She now had a choice. She could either stay over here like a loner, or she could go and stand with the marauders and endure Potter and Pals. What to do…

She sighed, and skirted around tables, deciding the Marauders presented a lesser of two evils. Besides, she like Ailish and Remus, and she could bear Peter. She ducked under a parrot patronus and stopped next to Ailish.

'Hello,' she muttered awkwardly to the group.

'Why Lily, DEAREST! How lovely of you to join us!' Sirius proclaimed loudly.

'Shutup Black,' she muttered. She felt out-of-place and very awkward. She also didn't like the way Daniela Cooper was eyeing her and James.

'No!' Sirius sang, 'Its just such an honour…'

'Sirius!' James said in a warning voice. That did it. If there was one thing Lily hated more than being teased, it was being protected and she didn't like the possessive tone in James' voice one little bit.

'Shut up Potter.' She snapped loudly, 'If I wanted your help I would have asked for it, instead of you coming in all high and mighty, trying to make me feel like a weirdo.' James looked completely taken aback at this outburst, and even Lily didn't quite understand her own reasoning behind it. However, once she had got started…

'You stand over here like you're king of bloody Hogwarts. Like you don't even need to try and do a patronus because you're just so damn good at everything and you'll get it first try, like always…'

'Lily…'

'I bet you think that just because you're better than me at transfiguration means you don't have to do any work at all. You think you're so impressive…'

'Lily, I…'

'I bet you think you're so much better than me! That I can't even do this spell because I'm so thick! Well I'll show you, James Potter, EXPECTO PATRONUM'

We both shouted the spell at the same time, the beams of light from our wands mingling in mid-air. Two large creatures erupted from our wand tips. I instantly felt relaxed as my doe turned to me, its large eyes calming me, as it picked up its feet without sound on the classroom floor. Then I became aware of gasps around me, and another creature's eyes following my movements. For a second I thought by some freak magical loophole, I had managed to create two patronuses at once; but then my eyes got used to the light and I realised that the creature watching me, and now turning back to its caster, was not a doe at all, but a stag. I gaped at it.

It turned slowly back to me, filling me with warmth as it looked me up and down with its eyes and then turned to my doe. I watched, mesmerised, as the stag and my doe moved elegantly towards each other, sizing each other up curiously. And then my stomach leapt as the stag went right up to my doe and nuzzled its face gently. I clenched my wand in my hand tightly, and trembled as my traitorous doe didn't back away, but NUZZLED RIGHT BACK! Because I knew whose stag that was, and I knew from my limited knowledge about patronuses, what this strange compatibility meant, and it terrified me. But what terrified me more was that, it didn't feel like something was being forced on me. I wasn't even Lily-Evans-default-angry! Watching mine and James' patronuses there felt…right.

I looked up and found myself staring into James' half shocked, half elated face. I needed to get out of there. I dropped my wand and the doe disappeared. I saw out of the corned of my eye the stag fade into nothingness. I looked around at the shocked faces of my classmates, and then into Ailish' look of confusion.

I ran: the light from the two patronuses embracing, still burnt on my retinas.


	4. 4 Darkness

**Hello **** I know these themes so far have been quite chronological but that has just been luck! They're going to jump around all over the place so please don't get confused if they suddenly get married **

**Darkness**

I had always liked the dark: it made me feel safe. It was like no one could hurt me, or judge me, or even see me when I was in my cocoon of black. Don't get me wrong, I loved attention! I was a marauder! Our pranks had us labelled as the most attention seeking people in the school! Everyone looks to us for fashions, entertainment, drama… Sometimes it was nice to just lay back in the darkness and not have to deal with any of that at all. I could be James when I was lying in my dark dormitory, with only the sound of Peters' snores and Sirius' occasional tossing and turning to keep me company.

I froze as a noise broke the soft, almost-silence. It was a scraping and a shuffling. I listened intently as the noise, which was coming from behind the dormitory door grew closer and closer. It stopped just outside and there was a short silence. Then there was a metallic fumbling as whoever was outside, tried to click open the doorknob. Our dorm door is notoriously stiff and there were a few minutes of more quiet rattling from outside. Then there was a louder bang and a whispered 'Shit!' from outside. I got up curiously, grabbed my glasses, and padded over to the door, shoving it open to reveal a very dishevelled looking Lily Evans. I felt a bubble of hilarity rise in my throat as she jumped violently, looking up at me in surprise.

'Lils?' I asked chuckling lightly.

She really was a mess. Her pyjamas were mussed and she held a duvet around her shivering form: bare, slightly blue feet poked out from beneath it. Her face was flushed and her eyes bright, her hair stuck out at least four inches from her face in an orange cloud. She looked beautiful.

'J-j-j-j-james?' she shivered, 'I was just- I mean, I wanted…' I grabbed her, lifting her in the direction of my bed. She squeaked slightly but I think she enjoyed the body heat more than anything. I pushed her under my covers and she snuggled down with a moan. Who'd have thought it? Lily Evans moaning in my bed.

I quickly cast a silencing charm, crossed to the other side and slipped into bed too, wrapping my arms around her quaking body, trying to chafe away the cold. She put her feet onto my legs and I gasped.

'Jesus Lily! What did you do? Have a bath in the black lake?' To my surprise she giggled a little.

'N-n-n-no,' she stuttered back, 'I was working l-l-l-late in the l-l-l-library, and I got l-l-l-locked out of my d-d-d-d-dorm.' I frowned.

'Why is your dorm locked?' She rolled her eyes.

'D-d-d-d'you remember in fourth year? When Sirius worked out he could just fly up the girls' staircase?'

'Ahh yes,' I grinned, 'The great Hogwarts underwear auction, how could I forget?'

'I'm glad _someone _thinks it's funny,' she grumbled into my pillow and I snickered. 'So anyway, I c-c-come back from the library and the d-dorm is locked! And all the girls are asleep! Just my luck.' I heard a pout in her voice at the last sentence and smiled, stroking her hair gently. Then I froze.

'Oh Merlin!' I groaned.

'What? What?' she said in a panicked voice, ' Whats happened? James, where are you going?'

'I'm such an idiot!' I groaned again, putting as much distance between me and Lily as possible.

'James Potter!' she growled, 'Tell me whats going on this instant or I'll…'

'It wasn't for me.' I muttered. Lily looked nonplussed.

'What?' she demanded.

'It wasn't for me. You didn't come up, to see me… I mean…' I struggled to find the right words. She was probably disgusted with me, thought I was some kind of weird pervert. What was I thinking putting her in my bed? 'You just came to this dormitory for help. It wasn't for me.' I finished lamely. She stared at me. Seconds ticked by. Oh Merlin, I bet she was building up a Lily-tirade in her head. I didn't blame her.

'I'm sorry.' I said miserably, hanging my head after a full minute's silence, 'I'll just… sleep on the sofa in the common room or… something. I don't mind, I..'

'James.' Her quiet voice stopped me in my tracks. I looked up at her to see those emerald eyes blazing back. She kneeled up slowly and took my hand, uttering the four words that changed my life forever:

'It was for you.'

**What do you think? Review please! **

**Oriel x**


	5. 5 Seeking Solace

**Hello again! Number four here **** Sometimes I cry late at night… then I remember that there are reviews **

**Oriel x**

**Seeking Solace**

I stormed through the castle, slamming doors and clattering into suits of armour as I went. I was angrier than I had ever been before. Okay, that was a lie: I got this angry every other day… I was angrier than I had been since Tuesday!

People started turned to stare as me, the apparently mad head girl stormed past them. I couldn't believe her! A D! **A D! **I may have been less than adept at Divination, but a D? I cursed my stubborn attitude as I wondered for the fourth time that day why I had taken Divination for NEWTs. I knew the answer of course: I had an extra option and had decided that I would show Professor Doileir that I COULD do Divination, despite my terrible record. A D. Pahhh!

'Acromantula' I snarled when I reached the portrait hole. The fat lady stared back at me, affronted.

'Well, there's no need to be rude!' she scoffed, swinging forward to let me in. I snorted, heaving my bag up again so I could stoop through.

CRASH!

I could have cried. My foot had caught on the step down from the portrait hole and I had fallen flat on my face. Ughhh. I picked myself up slowly, trying to ignore the gasps and sniggers coming from all sides. I could feel my face going as red as my hair: all I wanted was my bed… sleep the anger off, that was the best way. I could also feel tears pricking in my eyes, I needed to get away.

Picking up my bag again, I trudged heavily over to the girl's staircase and started to climb. It was all Professor Doileir's fault, I thought to myself grumpily, if she hadn't…

'OH FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN… AILISH!'

I glared at the red, lacy bra that hung off the door handle. Our dorm had had this signal ever since Ailish had become interested in boys: which, I thought vindictively, was about the second week of first year. Marlene, Hestia and Emmeline only ever used the door bra once or twice; me and Alice had never used it, Alice, because she was too shy and me, because I most definitely did NOT agree with what the door bra stood for. What happened to mates before dates? Where was I going to sleep?

'AILISH!' I yelled again, banging on the door, 'Tell whoever is in there with you to go back to their own dorm!' I'm tired!' There was a giggle and some muttering, then the sound of a heavy someone walking towards the door.

'Lily-flower!' Sirius Black. Great.

'Surprised to see me here?' he asked happily, gesturing to his way-too-scantily clad body. I laughed derisively.

'Pshh, the only people who didn't know this was going to happen was you two!' His eyes lit up and I smiled in spite of myself. The smile slid off my face like bubotuber pus.

'IS THAT MY SKIRT?' I screeched. Sirius looked surprised, then looked down at the brown corduroy mini skirt that as straining to split at his hips. He grinned sheepishly.

'It was just my colour?' he replied hopefully.

'I can see everything!' I cried, trying to shield my eyes from the skirt, 'That's your skirt now, okay?'

'Thanks Lily! I'm going to wear it next Hogsmeade!' he squealed happily.

'Well, whatever, put on some real clothes so I can get to my bed,' I said grumpily. Sirius smiled beneficently at me.

'Sorry, that won't be possible Lily-flower, me and Lish won't be done for at least another half hour,'

'Forty five minutes!' came Ailish' voice from within the dorm. I shook my head hard and tried to rid my brain of the images those words created. Ew.

'Please!' I whined. Sirius grinned, starting to close the door:

'See you in an hour Lily-flower,' he winked.

'Wait!' I cried sticking my foot in the door, halting its progress, 'If you two aren't going to be any use, and Marley's in detention, where's James?' Sirius' grin disappeared and his face turned stony.

'Why?' he said baldly.

'We…' I stuttered, defensive, 'We're good friends now! For months! We do stuff together! We… study, and stuff.' I finished lamely. Sirius laughed mirthlessly.

'You know, I like you Lily, I think you're a laugh: but for someone who gets such good grades, you sure are stupid.'

'Hey!' I said indignantly.

'You just don't get it,' he said, shaking his head. I glared.

'Where is he?' I asked through gritted teeth. Sirius sighed.

'He's in the boy's dormitory,' he conceded, 'Thinking.' His eyes flashed warningly, '_Alone _Lily.' I grinned.

'Thanks Sirius!' So James was thinking, that wouldn't matter! He was my friend and as such, was expected to give up thinking time now and again to console me and listen to my rant about professor Doileir. It was only an hour after all.

Sirius shook his head solemnly: 'Don't say I didn't warn you.' He started to close the door, but I jammed it with my foot again.

'I don't need your warnings thanks Sirius, I'm going to talk to my _friend_.' I started to walk away, then paused turned and held up the lacy bra I was still holding, 'Oh and tell Ailish to use her own bra next time? Thanks.' I threw it at him, laughing at his incredulous expression.

I had forgotten my little run in with the carpet, but the snickers from all sides when I reached the bottom of the girls-tower stairs reminded me.

'Don't you all have some homework to be getting on with?' I growled at the small crowd, who immediately averted their eyes and started animated conversations between themselves. Ughhh. I caught sight of Remus across the room: he waved a little and I gave him a small embarrassed smile. Could this evening get any worse?

I hoisted my back over my shoulder again, and began my way up the boy's stairs, ignoring gasps from a small table of first years who had neglected their gobstones game in favour of shooting disapproving looks at me.

The door to the sixth year's dorm was slightly ajar, and I could hear muttering coming from inside. I almost snorted. Alone? Yeah, thanks Sirius. It must be Peter in there or something. I was just about to enter when a slightly louder voice stopped me in my tracks.

'It's not her fault, it's just…' there was a pause, 'Arghhh! Why can't I-? Maybe if I-? No don't be stupid James.' There was the sound of heavy pacing, footsteps I recognised as James': heavy and purposeful. I listened intently for another voice. None came. So he was in there alone… but what could have upset or confused James so much that he was in his dorm, alone, talking to himself?

'Remus,' I heard James mutter, 'Remus said… talk to her, talk to her. Yeah, I can do that. Just be… casual, loose,' I had to hold back a giggle. So this was about a girl? _Who was she? _I wondered, studiously ignoring the tight, anxious feeling in my belly.

'Right, map,' I heard him mutter, 'Where is she?' There was some rustling and an angry grunt. 'Bloody Sirius, _Accio map_.' There was a bang, 'Gotcha, I solemnly sw…' There was a long silence. I pressed my ear closer against the door. Map? What was he talking about?

'Merlin.' I heard him breathe, 'Sirius is right,' he groaned loudly. 'I'm going fucking crazy. I have to get over it.' His voice had gained a miserable tone. 'I just have to ignore her, get over it, rip off the spellotape.' I listened harder. What? 'Easy' He didn't sound convinced. What on earth was he talking about? There was a creak of bedsprings and a loud sigh.

'No harm in looking, I suppose,' he muttered, 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' I had absolutely no idea what was going on. I thought James might need a little visit to St. Mungo's. I jumped a foot in the air as James' sharp voice cut through the air.

'What? She's…' The bed springs shrieked and James' footsteps pounded across the room to the door. I turned to run but my feet tangled around each other and I fell painfully to the ground. The door was wrenched open with a groan. I looked up with a sheepish grin. James' glare was stony.

'Were you… spying on me?' he asked, anger in his voice.

'No' I said unconvincingly, jumping up. James glared. 'Well okay, maybe a little, but only because I came up here and heard voices, and I didn't want to disturb you, because I thought it might be a private conversation… or something,' he looked at me like I was nuts, 'And then I realised that you were alone and you were just talking to yourself, and I was trying to work out what you meant, but I couldn't understand any of it, and I think you need to visit Madam Pomfrey, my friend…' I laughed slightly in the silence. Then I stopped.

James looked at me with consternation. He seemed to be steeling himself to do something. He jaw twitched.

'What- are you doing here Lily?' he asked through gritted teeth. Something was wrong. James had never called me Lily. Ever. In our first years it was always 'Evans' or 'Red' or 'Sweet goddess Divine'. Now he called me 'Lils'. He was one of the few people that were allowed to call me that. Lily…

'I-,' my voice broke slightly and he winced, 'I've just had a really bad day, what with Doilier breathing down my neck and falling over at every possible opportunity, I guess I'm just, seeking solace y'know?' I laughed again, and again I was alone doing it.

'I'm…busy' he said coldly.

'W-what?' I stuttered, uncomprehending.

'I'm BUSY Lily,' he said harshly, 'I. Can't. Help. You.' He spoke as if to a five year old who didn't understand.

'But..'

'You always do this!' he cried, 'My life doesn't bloody revolve around you, you know!'

I couldn't understand why he was so angry. I also couldn't understand why his words pierced me like knives through my middle. This wasn't like my fights with Ailish or Marley, I wasn't even angry. In fact, I could feel tears pricking in the backs of my eyes.

'James..' I said as calmly as I could, he glared back at me, 'It's okay, you're angry at me for spying on you, I get it. I'll… go away, come back later…' I began to turn away.

'Lily, wait..' I felt a swoop of hope in my belly. It was extinguished as I saw James' face. His eyes sent a shock to my core: instead of their normal, kind, liquid, green-brown colour, they were as hard and smooth as amber stones. 'I don't think we should see each other any more.' His voice was cold and expressionless, his face impassive. Tears blurred over my vision and fell down my cheeks. James watched them coolly.

'But, but…why? What…did I do?' I whispered.

'You didn't…' James' clean mask dropped for a second, but he caught himself. I didn't know what to do. 'Goodbye Lily.' He said quietly. And then he turned and started to shut the door.

'James!' I cried desperately, 'Don't do this! Don't… I..I' I couldn't speak through my sobs. James turned his head slightly to look down at the hand that I had grabbed his arm with. 'Please,' I whimpered. He merely looked down at my hand, and after a few seconds, I let him go.

The door closed. I leant back on it and sank to the ground, a moan building in my chest. I couldn't see for tears and the pain in my belly made it hard to breathe. He was gone. He was gone. I curled up on the cold, stone floor. He was gone… and I had no idea why it hurt so badly.


	6. 6 Break Away

**Next One! Thanks for reviews! Please carry on! Just some stuff from the previous chapter….**

**Dancergirl-: I think Lily would have done that too if she and James had only been loose friends, but that chapter was supposed to be after they had been friends for a while and Lily had begun to feel something more but hadn't admitted it to herself **** The reason her reaction was so dramatic was because she didn't realise how much he meant to her until she lost him and she was completely unprepared because the thing with James came completely out of the blue, plus she had a really bad day! It may have been going a little too far though! I promise she won't collapse again until something really dramatic happens! **

**Break Away –**

'James…. Mate?' I flapped my hand in Sirius' direction. He let out a disgruntled sigh and settled back into his chair. 'Who'd of thought it? James Potter, actually listening to schoolwork!' he muttered sarcastically. I took my attention off the speaker for long enough to give Sirius a withering look.

It wasn't schoolwork, not really. It was more like research: research into the future. Quite the opposite of Sirius, I was actually looking forward to leaving school. Sure there wouldn't be many more pranks, no Filch to annoy, no McGonagall to flirt with, no more Hogwarts' finest treacle tart, no Myrtle to torment, no passages to sneak out of, no more drunken games of spin the wand, no more Marauders living together, no more Lily to drool over… Wait. Why was I so keen to leave school?

I looked up hopefully. Amelia would remind me, or 'Madam Bones' as the teachers kept reminding us. Amelia would never be 'Madam Bones'. Sure that's what her badge might say, but everything about her: her bright eyes; her lopsided robes; that weird monocle thing she started wearing in sixth year as a dare but had kept it on because she thought it was quirky; her flyaway hair, as if she'd just got off a broom; all this screamed Amelia. Maybe this 'Outside world' that the teachers referred to in hushed, sombre voices wasn't as bad as it seemed.

'…so you really shouldn't be worried!' she smiled breathlessly, 'I remember when I was you're age, I was bloody terrified! But you've just got to get out there you know? Grab life by the bollocks!' there was a burst of laughter, coming mostly from Sirius as McGonagall coughed loudly and gave Amelia a dangerous look. 'Sorry Professor! Anyway, what I really wanted to say was that, well, when I was at school, lots of… people,' she shot another nervous look towards McGonagall, 'they wanted me to go into a shop-job, or an office job at the ministry, just because that was what my parents did. I want to say today, it really doesn't matter what your parents do, what your teachers say you should do, what your position tells you you should do… Life's not like that! There are so many opportunities out there waiting for you! Be different! Break away from the norm!' she looked around at us expectantly for a moment, then seemed to remember something. 'Oh! And Thank You!'

Laughter and applause filled the hall as Amelia took a flamboyant bow, winking at Sirius who had given a loud wolf-whistle. It didn't matter that my dad worked in the department of International Magical Cooperation; it didn't matter that my mum and my teachers had been encouraging me to go into the transfiguration department of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad. All that mattered was what I wanted to do, and judging by Amelia it was possible to get there.

As our year rose from the rapidly vanishing seats and started to look around the career booths which had been set up around the Great Hall, I thought carefully about what I wanted to do for the first time in my life. I was surprised that the answer came so simply to me. As the crowds parted, a small, rather tattered booth was revealed: occupied by a man in his mid-forties. His boots were up resting on the desk and he had a ragged hat pulled low over his face. Probably because of his less-than-inviting appearance, people seemed to be giving him a wide berth. I walked over to the desk curiously.

Unlike all others in the hall, this booth had no fancy banner, no pamphlets, no large business model, or grinning photos. There was simply the man, the desk, and a small cardboard sign that read: '_The Auror Offices'_

'Think you've got what it takes boy?' I jumped violently at the low growl. It took me a second to work out that it was coming from the man lolling in his chair. His hat covered most of his face but I could just make out a pockmarked, stubbly chin.

'I-I don't know,' I said hesitantly. I'd heard about Aurors: dark wizard catchers, and me and Sirius had always admired them from afar. I also knew about Voldemort, who seemed to be growing stronger by the day. I was a bit apprehensive, however, about working with whoever the man was.

'CONFUNDUS!' came the sudden yell. I instinctively raised my wand and cast the shield charm non-verbally: managing to throw my attacker off-balance and sending him toppling to the floor. I breathed heavily, thanking Merlin for my seeker's reactions, and the practice I'd had blocking Moony over the years.

'WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?' I heard McGonagall's yell and saw her storming towards the booth, 'POTTER! Would you kindly explain WHAT you've have done to Mr. Moody?' I looked from her to the man on the floor and back again.

'I…'

'Not to worry Minerva, I was just testing your pupil,' Came the growling voice again. It had been the auror behind the booth!

'You attacked me!' I cried indignantly. The man nodded curtly. His hat had come off to reveal a deeply lined face surrounded by a large quantity of brown-grey, grizzled hair.. 'Could've warned me!' I gasped massaging my chest.

'When you're in this line of work Potter, you have to be alert at all times. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!' I jumped again, as did McGonagall.

'Honestly Alastor, I can't have you confunding students in the middle of the hall!' she said tartly, staring hard at Moody.

'Sorry Minnie,' he mumbled, watching her stalk off again. He turned his attention back to me. 'As for you boy…' I waited apprehensively, but his face twisted into a sort-of smile, 'I'm impressed. Very impressed actually. Its not many wizards your age could have blocked that curse, and non-verbally too.' He whistled through his teeth. 'You ever considered being an auror boy?'

I shook my head, truthfully.

'Think about it,' he growled, clapping me on the back and sitting back behind the desk again.

I looked around the hall grinning, catching sight of a familiar blaze of red hair over by the healer booth. Lily turned, caught my eye, and grinned at me. I knew what I was going to do. I was going to be different. I would save the world. I would get the girl. I would break away.

**Reviews are beautiful **


	7. 7 Heaven

**Why hello anybody reading this story **** My computer is a n00b and the internet has been down for a few weeks now so I have had a lot of the chapters written for quite a long time! I have borrowed my lovely friend's computer to upload this: that's dedication for you ;) Hope you like it! **

**Reviews make people feel like they're in **_**HEAVEN.**_

**(see what I did there…)**

**Heaven**

'No! Please! Not Harry!'

'Avada Kedavra!'

My scream echoed in my head long after it had stopped coming from my mouth. I shut my eyes tightly, waiting for death to claim me. Maybe I would be with James…

There was silence. Voldemort had stopped yelling; Harry had stopped crying. My stomach tightened. Had Voldemort killed him? Did he know I was still alive? I opened my eyes a crack and was blinded by golden light. Golden light? I had been in Harry's _blue _room, and it was a dark night…

In the next moment, I realised three things: first, I was lying on my front on some kind of surface which had definitely not been there before. Second, I was in the playground of my childhood, in Spinners End, complete with swings, roundabout and slide, all looking a lot cleaner than I had remembered. Third, I was completely naked.

I squealed, jumping up, trying to shield myself from the houses that surrounded me on all sides. Some clothes were hanging off the see-saw, and I grabbed them with relief, pulling them on frantically.

I had reached the t-shirt when I realised I hadn't put on a bra. I cursed as I saw my red one hanging off a handle on the roundabout. Now here was a dilemma. I could either leave it, and leave myself open to the awkward 'stranger-confrontation-with-no-bra' situation (or the even more awkward 'Sirius-confrontation-with-no-bra' situation). I shuddered. I could take off my t-shirt and start again...no. I could already feel myself blushing. I didn't want to be naked for any longer than absolutely necessary. Or… I could do the extremely tricky, almost physically impossible 'Bra bend': a manoeuvre Ailish and I had perfected at Hogwarts but which I had not done in over two years.

I prepared myself, hooking the bra over my wrist and squatting into the optimum position…

'What in MERLIN'S NAME are you doing?'

I jumped so violently that the bra twanged off my arm and hit me in the forehead. The sound of laughter filled the air. Familiar laughter.

'James?' I asked, peering incredulously through my streaming eyes.

'Up here!' I heard him call from above me. My head shot up, feeling relief flow through me. My joyous grin quickly transformed into a disapproving frown. He was sitting on the climbing frame, grinning down at me, his glasses gone: and like I had been a few minutes ago, he was completely naked.

'James!' I hissed, 'Get down from there! People will see you! Put some bloody clothes on!' He rolled his eyes, and slid down.

'Lils,' he whined, when I pointed to the clothes that were hanging over a park bench. 'We're dead! There's no one around! How are clothes going to help us now?'

We're dead. The phrase wasn't truly that shocking. I had known since the first moment I had opened my eyes.

'In fact,' James grinned wickedly, 'I most definitely think clothes are completely surplus. Lils, take them off now!' I hit him and he laughed.

I was surprised, as I looked into his grinning face, that I felt my chest constricting and tears prick my eyes. His grin disappeared, as I let out a sob.

'Hey,' He said gently, pulling me towards him, 'Hey, it's okay' He pulled my head onto his shoulder, but it panicked me.

'No!' I gasped, pulling back quickly, 'No! If I can't see you, you'll disappear too, I know it!' I sounded mental, apparently James thought so too. He caught my face in his hands.

'Shut up Lils,' he said, his mouth quirking into a smile, 'I'm not going anywhere.' It felt good, but it wasn't enough. As I stared into his hazel eyes, now sparkling with amusement, but stormy behind, I saw our life together. Our first meeting. Our fights. Our friendship. That first moment, when I realised I had loved him all along. Our first kiss. The first time we… The moment when he had proposed, right by that roundabout. Our wedding, the happiest day of my life. The way he looked when I told him I was pregnant. The way he looked when he first saw Harry: our Harry. The way he had told me to run, to escape: while he kept away the monsters. And it wasn't enough! It wasn't enough!

I saw myself, pregnant. James' face lighting up all over again. I saw Harry growing up, now with a little sister. I saw our family meals. The way I would insist that Harry and the little girl should go to muggle primary school. The way James would roll his eyes. The fights we'd have. And the make ups we'd have in the middle of the night. Harry's first day at Hogwarts. The way James would reach out and take my hand, because he'd just _know _what I was feeling, like he always did. The letters we'd get home from Dumbledore or McGonagall, telling us that Harry and the little girl were just like James when he was at school. The way we'd be stern in front of them, hardly keeping a straight face, because we both secretly thought it was hilarious. Harry and the little girl, bringing home their first loves. The way James would think no one was good enough for his little girl. The way I would think no one was good enough for my little boy. The day they left home. The way James again, would hold me, because he would just know. Growing old together. Spending whole days doing nothing. Spending days doing things that would end in disaster as they frequently did with James. The way he would still kiss me every night. The way he would still tease me every day. The way we would die, not snatched from the world with everything left unresolved, but peacefully, maybe together: having said goodbye to our family and friends. Ready to go on to the next big adventure, together. Our life, our laughter stretched out before me. It felt like it had been stolen, and I wept for it.

And James, knowing, like he always did, let me.

When I had cried all the tears I had, I looked up at him, into the hazel eyes I had always loved. I let out an almighty sniff. James snorted:

'Well that was attractive,' he laughed. I hit him again.

'What about Harry?' I asked, my voice hoarse. James' face turned solemn.

'I would've thought Voldemort would kill him,' he said woodenly. I winced, expecting the pain of the revelation to crash over me. It never came. I could feel it, somewhere deep in my chest: Harry was alive. I grinned at James and was shocked to find him grinning back.

'I know,' he laughed, and I could see the happiness lining his face, 'He's alive, I feel it too.'

'But then who will…?'

'Sirius,' said James confidently, 'We named him as guardian, remember!' I grimaced and James laughed again.

'What have we done to our son?' I cried in mock anguish, shaking my fist at the sky. 'Why couldn't we have got someone sensible, like Remus? He would make sure Harry stays on the right side of the tracks…' I trailed off, realising that James had stiffened angrily. 'Listen,' I said soothingly, rubbing his shoulder, 'I know you think Remus is the spy, but I don't think he is! And what does it matter? We're dead now anyway!' It felt very odd to say it, but kind of relief came with it. We had escaped it all: Voldemort, the War, the death, the destruction; and here we were together, in my playground. Heaven could look a lot worse. I was happy here.

'I don't think Moony is the spy,' he said through gritted teeth, 'Not anymore anyway.'

'But… what?' I was bemused.

'How do you think Voldemort got into our house Lily?' I froze. The fidelius charm. _Peter._

'THAT LITTLE RAT!' I screamed out, 'I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!' James chuckled slightly, but his eyes were still raging. He had trusted his friends above all others. This was a betrayal of the worst kind.

'I think we should go back and haunt him,' I said knowledgably to James. He rolled his eyes and ruffled my hair. I hated it when he did that. 'Don't worry,' I said, ignoring the ruffling for now, 'They'll catch him, the Order.' He gasped.

'What? What?' I asked frantically, looking around, expecting to see Voldemort sitting on the see-saw.

'Bloody hell! Oh Bloody fucking HELL!'

'James Charlie Potter, I swear to MERLIN…'

'Sirius!' he said staring into my face, 'SIRIUS!'

'Errmm, yes…. Oh don't tell me you're missing him already,' I rolled my eyes: I would always be second best.

'No Lils! Sirius! We only changed the secret keeper today! No one knew about it, not even Dumbledore!' he said urgently. I was still confused:

'So?' He looked at me exasperatedly.

'Who- was- the- secret- keeper- before- Peter?' he said slowly, like he was talking to a toddler, 'Who do the Order _still_ think is the secret keeper?'

It clicked.

'Oh Shit! Sirius!' He rolled his eyes, then started pacing, running his fingers through his hair. I sat down on one of the swings with a thump. What could we do?

'If he gets arrested, it's all our fault!' James was muttering to himself, 'Peter, Peter, bloody Peter…' This went on for at least another ten minutes.

'James!' I said finally, 'if neither of us have thought of anything we can do by now, I think it's pretty hopeless.' He turned to me, his face crumpled somewhat. He sat down on the swing next to me.

'He's my best mate,' he said dejectedly, 'and this is what I do for him.'

'Oi!' I said, deciding to put an end to the misery, 'You didn't do this! Voldemort did this: and Peter and just, Dark Arts in general!' He drooped.

'Oh in the name of all that's holy,' I said rolling my eyes, 'Sirius is a grown man James, he can take care of himself! Now if you've finished worrying about your boyfriend, maybe you could take a little guess at where our SON might be going, if Sirius is locked up in Azkaban!' James' head shot up. I could see panic in his eyes… for good reason.

'But… but..' he sputtered, horror etched across his face, 'If the guardian is unable, don't the…' he swallowed, '_next-of-kin _look after the child?' I nodded grimly.

'Petunia.' James' face blanched.

'What have we done?' he whispered.

'Poor Harry,' I said sadly, 'He's going to hate living with Tuney and the Whale.'

'Don't forget Dudley,' James piped up, 'Or as he is more commonly known, the human beach ball.' I remembered the secret 'Sister messages' me and Tuney used to send each other when we were children and sent a pleading one now: _Look after him Tuney, please, don't let me down…_

'Well hopefully Dudders will eat Harry quite early on, at least that will put an end to his misery.' James was saying sadly. I hit him, but couldn't help secretly agreeing. He looked up at the sky, then sighed and stood up.

'C'mon Lils,' he said gently, pulling me to my feet.

'Where are we going?' I asked in confusion. James shrugged.

'On.'

I snorted loudly: 'Thanks for clearing that up there James.' He rolled his eyes.

'Can't you feel it Lils? This was never our permanent place, this was a bit like… a waiting room.' I did feel it. The sun was slowly setting over the playground, stretching the shadows of the climbing frame, making them seem a little more sinister than before. There was a place waiting for us, and it was at the end of that road there. James opened the gate, waving his hand like a doorman. I giggled and curtseyed. I looked back at the playground once more, sadness once again rising in my chest.

'Will we ever see him again?' I whispered to James. He took my hand.

'Of course we will,' he said confidently, 'We'll see them all, one day.'

'And who needs the rest of them! We've got each other!' I said thickly, the tears falling free and fast now, 'That's good enough for me.' James made a face, exhaling in mock disappointment. 'Oh shut up,' I told him. He laughed.

'Where d'you think we're going?' he asked me excitedly. I rolled my eyes.

'Wherever it is, I just hope It's not heaven,' I said solemnly. James looked confused.

'Why not?'

'Because they're going to need a lot more than heaven to contain you!'

Laughing, we departed this life.


End file.
